SEATTLE — When the Orioles selected Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson with their first two picks of the 2019 draft, they couldn’t have imagined a better outcome than this. Five years later, the catcher and shortstop are considered the best players at their positions.
Rutschman and Henderson will take center stage for the Orioles at the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, on July 16 after winning a fan vote to be starters in the Midsummer Classic.
The young stars are deserving. Rutschman is a second-time All-Star producing quality numbers on offense again while providing strong defense at catcher. Rutschman is hitting .291 with an .811 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. Henderson, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, is in the midst of an MVP-caliber campaign. He is batting .288 with a .983 OPS and 26 home runs.
“It’s really cool to be able to do that, both to get our first starts in the same year,” Henderson said. “It’s very special to me, because he’s my first roommate when I got into pro ball, and obviously we’ve had our relationship become best friends throughout our time together.”
Added Rutschman: “He was my first roommate in pro ball. Watched a lot of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in the hotel room. And [our relationship] just kind of has blossomed from there.”
Rutschman secured 70% of the vote, topping Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez. Henderson owned 65% of the vote, beating Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
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Henderson is also competing in the Home Run Derby. He’s in only his second full season as a major leaguer and turned 23 a few days earlier, and yet Henderson was voted the best shortstop in the American League.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to be considered that,” Henderson said. “Feel like it’s just a testament to the hard work that not only myself has put in but the hitting coaches, the infield coaches, just all the development stuff. The work continues to come, but feel like it’s pretty cool to be acknowledged for that.”
This is the first time since 2014 the Orioles have earned multiple All-Star starters, with Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz starting that year. It’s a sign pointing to the growth of the organization, and “it means Mike [Elias] has drafted pretty well,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Really well.”
“The amount of talent that they’ve accumulated in this organization is such a testament to them,” Hyde said. “Picking the right guys and having these guys perform in the major leagues is just awesome for everybody.”
Few players have been as potent as Henderson this year. He owns a 182 OPS+ — 100 is league average for offensive production — and his 6.2 wins above replacement are the second most in the majors, behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
Henderson said he’s most excited to talk to his family about his All-Star nomination. “They’ve been supporting me my whole career,” he said, “and it’ll be pretty cool to share this moment with them.”
Rutschman, too, will share this with his family, which is in Seattle for the series against the Mariners. Rutschman said it “was definitely a goal of mine this year” to be a starter in the All-Star Game, “and, obviously, I feel fortunate to go and to be named starter is a cherry on top.”
The Orioles have the chance to land more All-Star nominations. Baltimore had six finalists heading into Phase 2 of voting this week, including first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, outfielder Anthony Santander and third baseman Jordan Westburg. That quartet all finished second in their head-to-head competitions for a starting spot, but they can be named reserves — the full rosters will be announced Sunday.
Of the second-place finishers, O’Hearn lost by the narrowest margin. He drew 48% of the vote compared to Yordan Álvarez’s 52%.
Santander lost to Juan Soto and Steven Kwan for a starting outfield place. José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians topped Westburg, and the Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. beat Mountcastle.
There is still a good chance of a pitcher or two making the roster. Right-hander Corbin Burnes has a 2.28 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 9-3 record. Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez owns a 3.45 ERA, 1.218 WHIP and a 10-3 record.
“I hope it’s a long list,” Hyde said, “because we’ve got a lot of guys who deserve it.”
